This invention relates to an anti-pollution apparatus and more particularly to a oil spill current activated boom that is deployable to collect floatable pollutants such as oil.
The devastating effects of liquid hydrocarbons spillage on a body of water are well known. Accidental spillages of oil are ugly, dangerous, quite damaging and can severely contaminate marine life as well as shoreline property. The legal implication of such damage is great and it is essential that means be provided to control these accidental spillages. Early techniques used oil absorbent materials such as hay or straw to absorb the pollutants and then such materials were gathered, which action was a laborious task. More recent devices included floating booms which could be located around a boat that was polluting the waters. Other polluting control devices were pushed or towed through the water to collect the pollutants. The present invention provides an alternate means for controlling pollutants in those areas where oil is loaded or unloaded by tankers, barges and the like and where accidents usually take place and can cause damage. The present invention provides an effective practical means for controlling and confining oil spills on deposits on waters to prevent their subsequent spread and damage. In addition, the present invention is particularly useful in areas where water traffic prevents the permanent type of installation because the known booms were deployed in such a manner that they interfered with the use of the channel waters. The present invention is a self-deploying boom which is so stored that it does not interfere with the channel use, yet upon deployment will position itself to effectively collect and contain the oil spill.